Power pack unit



B. N. ASHTON POWER PACK UNIT Aug. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1947 INVENTOR BENJAMIN N. ASHTON H15 ATTORNEYS B. N. ASHTON POWER PACK UNIT Aug. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14. 1947 INVENTQR BENJAMIN N. ASHTON BY WW1 14m Hi5 ATTORNEYS 1950 B. N. ASHTON 2,517,377

POWER PACK UNIT Filed March 14, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 iw 'l {i 20 INVENTOR BENJAMIN N. ASHTON .M-r. H15 ATTORNEYS A g 1, 1950 B. N. ASHTON 2,517,377

POWER PACK UNIT Filed March 14, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ENTOR BENJA N. ASHTON H I5 ATTQRNEYS Patented Aug. 1, 1950 POWER PACK UNIT Benjamin N. Ashton, Kingston, N. Y., assignor to Electrol Incorporated, Kingston, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 14, 1947, Serial No. 734,713 4 Claims. (01. 103-41) Thisinvention relates to hydraulic power pack supplying fluid under pressure and selector valves by means of which the operation of elements at a remote point or points can be controlled. The device embodying the invention is particularly useful for the retraction and projection of landing gear and wing flaps of aircraft although it may be used for other purposes wherein compact units requiring hydraulic power or pressure are required.

A typical form of power unit embodying the present invention may include a casing member having a reservoir for receiving hydraulic fluid, the casing being provided with one or more sets of selector valves by means of which a liquid may be Supplied to elements at remote points such as, for example, hydraulic jacks for actuating the landing gear and the wing flaps of aircraft. The device is further provided with a manually operated piston type pump in the center of the casing which may be actuated by a suitable pump handle to withdraw liquid from the reservoir and supply it under pressure to the selector valve or valves.

The arrangement of the valves and the pump in the single casing together with a supply reservoir provides a compact assembly and also allows a greatly simplified mounting for the entire assembly.

Usually, heretofore, the selector valves and the pump have been separate units and have been connected by conduits and other connections to the elements to be operated. Inasmuch as they have not been a unitaryassembly, considerable difficulty has been encountered in properly servicing, removing and replacing the various elements.

The power pack of the present invention overcomes these difliculties and allows the easy servicing and replacement of the unit should it be damaged and also greatly simplifies the connections between the unit and the elements to. be

operated thereby.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompany, ing drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical form of power pack unit embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of a power pack unit; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the .power pack unit;

Figure 4 is a view in section taken on line 4-4 of Fi ure 2;

plastic.

about the central bore I1.

Figure 5 is a view in section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2; and t Figure 6 is a view in section taken on line 6--6 of Figure 2. l i

The form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration may include the casing I0 and a reservoir I2 whichQmay be formed as a unitary casing of a lightweight material such as, for example, aluminum, magnesium, their alloys or The reservoir I2 is supported on top of the casing portion I0 and may be integral there with. The reservoir is generall cup-shaped or circular in plan and has sufficient capacity to receivethe liquid necessary to operate such remote controlled devices as the flaps and landing gear. The reservoir I2 is provided wit-h a cover 13 of disklike form which has an upper flange [3a thereon, overlying the upper edge of the reservoir 12 and a reduced portion I312 which fits within the upper edge of the reservoir l2. The lid I3 may be retained in position by means of a bolt l4 extending through the cover and threaded into a boss l5 in the bottom of the reservoir. In order to provide a leakprooi seal, the lid may be provided with a groove He in which is mounted a rubbery sealing ring IS.

The casing portion l0 ma take the form of a generally rectangular block of metal. and it is provided with a central bore I1 and four other bores, l8, I9, 20 and 2| arranged symmetrically In order to reduce the weight of the assembly, the blocklike casing It) may be formed to conform closely to the shape of the bores 11 to 2B and also is formed with couplings 22 and 23 forming an outlet and retum port for the upper selector valve unit assembled inthe bores l8 and 2| and couplings 24 and 25 forming the outlet and return ports for the selector valve unit assembled in the bores I9 and 20.

28 mounted in an enlarged portion 26a of the passage 18 and retained therein by means of a snap ring 29.

Thepis'ton of the pump consists of an elongated me'mbertll having flanges 3| and 32 adjacentone end forming a groove for receiving a 3 rubbery piston ring 33 of circular cross-section. The left-hand end of the piston 353 is provided with a rim portion 34 having a plurality of notches 35 therein through which liquid can enter the centrally located passage 36 and pass by the ball-type check valve H which is mounted. in the passage 35. A cross passage 35a extends through the piston to permit liquid to flow by the check valve 31 into the cylinder ll around the piston member 39. The right-hand end of the piston is provided with a bore for receiving the link 38 which connects the piston to the pump handle iil. The handle is mounted on a lug 4i (Figure 1) projecting from one side of the reservoir l2 and is supported by means of a pivot .pin it passing through spaced arms 43 and M on the handle so that the handle ma be rocked back and forth. The piston ttis further guided in the bore by means of a sealing ring 45 which is provided with outer and inner grooves for receiving the rubbery ring seals 36 and ii. The ring 65 bears against a shoulder as in the bore and is retained against the shoulder by means of a snap ring 49.

Liquid is discharged from the cylinder I! through the discharge port 58 which is best shown in Figures 5 and 6. The passage 5!) may beproduced by drilling the casing in the direction perpendicular to the bore ll. Another-passage. 5| communicates with the passage 58 and this latter passage 5i is intersected by still another passage which is in communication with the bores;

and is where they intersect the bores 53 and:

5a which receive the cam shafts for actuating the selector valves, later to be described. The pump operates by reciprocating the entire piston by means of handle 48. As the piston reciprocates, liquid is drawn through the check valvew 3? opens so that liquid is forced through the pas-J-v sages .38 and 36a and out through the passages 5%, El, 52 and into the bores 53 and 54 and the bores l8 and i9 (Figure 6).

The selector valves described hereinafter may be generally of the type disclosed inthe Ashton Patent No. 2,349,069 dated May 16, 1944. Each selector valve unit of the present invention is a four-port valve having four valve plugs and seats therein for controlling the flow of liquid from the pump to the remote-controlled element and for returning the liquid to the reservoir. The two selector valve units A and B disclosed herein are substantially identical and only one valve unit will be described in detail. Referring now to Figure 4, the selector valve elements mounted in bore 2 I include a pairof collar members r sleeves 55 and 55 forming valve seats which are adapted to receive slidably the poppet valves 51 and 58 which are identical. The poppet valve 51' has a cone-shaped head 51a, 2, reduced valves'tem portion 51b and an enlarged plug portion 510 provided with a groove for receiving a sealing ring 51d which prevents leakage between the sleeve 55 and the plug 51. The exterior of the sleeve 55 is provided with a circumferential groove 55a which communicates with the interior of the sleeve through a radial port 5512 so that when the cone valve 51a is unseated, liquid can flow past the cone head 51a into the sleeve around the valve stem 51b and out through the port 551) to the circumferential groove 55a. Leakage of fluid into and out of the groove 55a, is prevented from the valve member 51a, a passage 550 is provided in sleeve 55. The opposite valve memb comprising the sleeve 56 and the valve plug is identical to that described above and is placed in opposition to the other valve.

Both of the valve elements 51 and 53 in the bore 2i are actuated by the cam member 65 which is generally of cylindrical shape except at the Zone between the inner ends of the valves 51 and 5% where it has a rectangular cross-section $50. eccentric to the axis of the shaft.

The cam shaft also actuates two other valves and 51 located in the bore 18. Valves 66 and ill are actuated by means of a rectangular cam member 551) which is set diametrically opposite to the cam member 65a so. that diagonally opposite valves are actuated upon rocking of the cam shaft. The two bores 13 and 2| are out of communication with each other so that-inlet and return flow of liquid can be controlled by these valves.

The bore it connects the mid-point of the passages '28 and 2! to the reservoir l2 to return liquid to the reservoir, as shown in Figured.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the inlet and outlet ports 22 and 23 are connected to the valves so that liquid can be discharged selectively and returned from a, remotely controlled apparatus.

the port 22 is connected by means of a passageway H to the space or groove 55b in the sleeve and also to the corresponding groove in the sleeve of the valve 51. Similarly, the port 23 is connected to the groove in the sleeve 56 and the corresponding groove in the sleeve of .the valve 23 by means of the transverse passage 12.

The cam shaft65 is provided with a handle l3 at its outer end so that the shaft may be rocked to actuate the valves. The handle 13 is hollow and has a plunger M therein provided with a knob Ma. The plunger is urged inwardly by means of a spring 15 to engage an arcuate flange l6 concentric with the shaft 65 and secured to the casing ill. The flange 16 has internal recesses 16 and 16b for receiving the plunger M to retain it in either of the dotted line positions shown on Figure 1.

When the actuating handle '53 is rocked in a direction to unseat the valve plug 58, the cam element 65b simultaneously unseats the valve plug of the valve 51. When the pump is actuated, fluid under pressure is delivered by the passage 52 to the valve El, and it will flow. past the open valve 61 and outwardly through the passage H to the port 22. At the same time, if the device being actuated is a wing flap cylinder, the liquid will be returned through the port 23, the passage 12, the open valve 53 into the bore 2] and to the reservoir through the return passage 10. If the control lever 13 is then rocked in the'opposite direction, the opposite valves will be actuated so that liquid under pressure will pass through the valve 66 and outwardly through the port 23 and the return liquid. will flow past the valve plug 5! through the passage l! tothe-return port l0 into the reservoir. The other se- 5, lector valve mechanism B is exactly the same with the selector valve elements being assembled in the bores l9 and 20 and communicating in the same way with the couplings 24 and 25.

The above-described power pack unit permits two different mechanisms to be actuated by hydraulic pressure by connecting, them to the selector valve units A and B. In order to compensate for variations in fluid pressure resulting from temperature changes, the device may be provided with temperature relief valves 9| and 92 between the passages H and 12 and the reservoir I 2 so that upon expansion of liquid in the system the excess liquid may escape past the ball check valves and into the reservoir. Also, in order to prevent the pump from producing too high a pressure in the system a pressure relief valve 93 of the ball type is located in the passageway 52 between the reservoir l2 and the bore l8 so that excessive pressure will cause the liquid to discharge from the pump cylinder [1 into the reservoir.

From the preceding description of a typical form of power pack unit embodying the present invention, it will be clear that I have provided simple and compact devices which may be used in airplanes or other devices for controlling the operation or any hydraulically powered apparatus. Thus, the entire device may be mounted conveniently on the floor of the cockpit or on the instrument panel or in any other convenient position.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible to considerable modification and that the type of selector valves and pump used therein may be varied as desired. Therefore, the form of the invention described above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic power pack unit comprising a casing having a substantially centrally located bore forming a pump cylinder, two pairs of bores located substantially symmetrically with respect to, and substantially parallel with, said cylinder, a hollow closed receptacle for hydraulic fluid mounted on the top of said casing, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a piston-actuating lever pivotally connected to said casing and to said piston, a first passage in said casing connecting said receptacle to said pump cylinder, a second passage in said casing connecting said cylinder to said pairs of bores, check valves interposed between said receptacle and said second passage, whereby reciprocation of said piston withdraws fluid from said receptacle and forces it into said bores, a pair of poppet valves in each of said bores, a first pair of ports in said casing communicating with one of said pairs of bores, a first cam means rotatably mounted in said casing for actuating the valves in one of said pairs of bores to direct fluid from said cylinder to one of said ports and return fluid to the receptacle from the other port, a second pair of ports communicating with the other pair of bores, and second cam means cooperating with the valves in said other pair of bores for actuating the valves therein to deliver fluid from the pump cylinder to one of the communicating pair of ports and return fluid from the other communicating ports to said receptacle.

2. A hydraulic power pack unit comprising a casing having a substantially centrally located bore forming a pump cylinder, two pairs of bores substantially parallel with said pump cylinder located substantially symmetrically with respect to said cylinder, a hollow closed receptacle for hydraulic fluid mountedon the top of said casing, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a pistonactuating lever pivotally connected to said casing and to said piston, a first passage in said casing connecting said receptacle to'said pump cylinder, a second passage in said casing connecting said cylinder to said pairs of bores on the opposite side of said piston from said first passage, a check valve in said first passage permitting flow of fluid from said receptacle to said cylinder, an opening through said piston, a second check valve in said opening permitting flow of fluid through said piston to said second passage, whereby reciprocation of said piston withdraws fluid from said receptacle and forces it into said bores, a pair of poppet valves in each of said bores, a first pair of ports in said casing communicating with one of said pairs of bores, a first cam means rotatably mounted in said casing for actuating the valves in one of said pairs of bores to direct fluid from said cylinder to one of said ports, and return fluid to the receptacle from the other port, a second pair of ports communicating with the other pair of bores, and second cam means cooperating with the valves in said other pair of bores for actuating the valves therein to deliver fluid from the pump cylinder to one of the communicating pair of ports and return fluid from the other communicating ports to said receptacle.

3. A hydraulic power pack unit comprising a casing having a substantially centrally located bore forming a pump cylinder, a pair of bores substantially parallel with said pump cylinder, a hollow closed receptacle for hydraulic fluid mounted on the top of said casing, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a piston-actuating lever pivctally connected to said casing and to said piston, a first passage in said casing connecting said receptacle to said pump cylinder, a second passage in said casing connecting said cylinder to said pair of bores, check valves interposed between said receptacle and said second passage, whereby reciprocation of said piston withdraws fluid from said receptacle and forces it into said bores, a pair of poppet valves in each of said bores, a pair of ports in said casing communicating with said pair of bores, and cam means rotatably mounted in said casing for actuating the valves in said bores to direct fluid from said cylinder to one of said ports and return fluid to the receptacle from the other port.

4. A hydraulic power pack unit comprising a casing having a substantially centrally located bore forming a pump cylinder, a pair of bores in said casing substantially parallel with said pump cylinder, a hollow closed receptacle for hydraulic fluid mounted on the top of said casing, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a pistonactuating lever pivotally connected to said casing and to said piston, a first passage in said casing connecting said receptacle to said pump cylinder, a second passage in said casing connecting said cylinder to said pair of bores, check valves interposed between said receptacle and said second passage, whereby reciprocation of said piston withdraws fluid from said receptacle and forces it into said bores, a pair of poppet valves in each of said bores, a pair of ports in said casing communicating with said pair of bores, an opening in a side of said casing intersecting said pair of bores, and cam means rotatably mounted in said opening for actuating the valves in said bores to ,di'nech fiuicl from said. cylinder to, one. of said parts: and return fluid tothe receptacle: from the other porn,

BENJAMIN NLASHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following; references: are of. record in the file of; this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name: Date. Pfauser V Am; 14, 1935 Brown V Ocvth 20,, 1936 Kerber Jan. 16, 1940 Patton et a1 May 21, 1941 Pfauser May 9, 1944 Ashton May 16, 1944 

